My Nail Romance with Lab Muffin

One blog isn’t enough to contain Michelle Wong’s Nail Romance. In addition to her main beauty blog, Lab Muffin, she contributes to Polish or Perish and is a founding member of the new nail community Lacquerheads of Oz. Michelle has almost finished her PhD in chemistry and when she’s not busy blogging, she’s slogging away at her thesis or in the pole dance studio.

Tell me a bit about your blog

I started Lab Muffin in December 2011, mainly because my boyfriend was sick of seeing my nails (and nowhere near appreciative enough)! I’m also passionate about science literacy, and was disappointed in how badly beauty science is communicated, leading to so many myths and misunderstandings. So Lab Muffin is my attempt to make a little difference in the world by helping ordinary girls wade through marketing jargon, while making everyone check out my nails!

To give people a rest, I started posting swatches on Polish or Perish, an international blog run by “women with almost as much polish as they do education” – we all have or are working towards higher degrees.

Recently, a group of Aussie nail bloggers, nail techs, polish makers and other enthusiasts started Lacquerheads of Oz, which will gather all the nail polish knowledge out there, both for experts and girls just starting out, into one handy website. I’m very excited to be involved!

How often do you post?

5-7 times a week these days across the three blogs… a bit of a hectic schedule but I love it 🙂

Are you left or right handed?

Right-handed.

What’s your best tip for painting your other hand?

I’m a bit ambidextrous from piano so it’s not too bad, but resting both wrists or elbows on a hard object makes it easier. And practice, of course!

How often do you paint your nails?

Every 3-5 days – I find that my nails tend to chip if they aren’t protected by a shield of polish.

How many polishes in your collection?

I put them all in a Google spreadsheet recently – under 400 not including doubles. Don’t tell the boyfriend.

How do you store your polishes?

I have that hallmark of a polish addict: the IKEA Helmer. I have one drawer each for cremes, shimmers, special finishes, toppers, base and top coats, and the dreaded untrieds. The boyfriend has said that he’ll leave me when I run out of space in it.

Which brand has the best brush?

Funnily enough, so far it’s been Bio Sculpture, who aren’t usually known for their polishes! I swatched four in a row without getting even the slightest drop on my skin – a first.

Favourite polish brand?

All of them! It’s hard for me to say but OPI, China Glaze and Essie have great ranges and hardly ever disappoint.

Favourite indie brand?

So hard to choose out of my favourite Aussies: Gloss ‘n Sparkle, Emily de Molly, Femme Fatale, Loki’s Lacquer and Pretty Serious! So I won’t 😛

Best luxe brand?

Chanel shades are always very covetable! Butter London is also amazing.

Best bargain buy?

ulta3 and Essence are great value for money.

Favourite colour?

Purple, coral and green, and teal! Especially teal.

Favourite colour combinations?

Purple and gold is always a winner!

Best colour for work?

Neutrals – brown and nude are nice, worksafe colours.

Best tip for making nail polish last longer?

Use a good base coat, and use a top coat that isn’t quick-dry. I use Orly Bonder as my base coat, and while I love Seche Vite top coat, I don’t recommend it if you want your nails to stay chip-free for longer than a couple of days.